Proton irradiation using spot scanning

1. A method for irradiating a target comprising the steps of:

generating a proton beam using a cyclotron, said proton beam being comprised of a plurality of protons;

providing a first information to an energy selection system, said first information comprising a depth of said target;

selecting an energy level for said set of protons using said energy selection system based on said first information;

routing said proton beam from said cyclotron through a beam transfer line to a scanning system;

providing a second information to said scanning system, said second information comprising a pair of transversal coordinates and a target dose;

guiding said proton beam using a magnet structure to a location on said target determined by said second information, the magnet structure comprising a plurality of bi-directional magnet sets and a separate magnet power supply corresponding to each set of the plurality of bi-directional magnet sets;

irradiating said target based on said second information; and

controlling the separate power supplies for said magnet structure based on a beam position in said target.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said irradiating said target comprises providing a third information, the third information corresponding to a number of protons, and irradiating said target with said number of protons based on said third information.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

routing said proton beam from said cyclotron through said beam transfer line to a second scanning system;

wherein said target is a tumor;

wherein said scanning system is in a one or more treatment rooms each.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cyclotron is a superconducting cyclotron.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

measuring a dose delivered to said target during said irradiating step using a transition ionization chamber; and

measuring a beam position relative to said location and beam width during said irradiating step using multi strip ionization chamber;

wherein said transition ionization chamber is mounted between said magnet structure and said target along said proton beam.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of producing said first and second information in real time based on said beam position and said dose.

7. The method from claim 1 , further comprising spot scanning said target using three dimensional targeting.

8. The method from claim 7 , wherein said three dimensional targeting comprises real time updating of the proton beam to adjust for changes in a location of said target.

9. An apparatus for irradiating a target comprising:

a cyclotron configured to generate a proton beam, said proton beam comprising a set of protons;

an energy selection system configured to select an energy level for said set of protons from a set of three or more energy levels;

a scanning system comprising a magnet structure and configured to guide said proton beam to a location on said target using the magnet structure, the magnet structure comprising a plurality of bi-directional magnet sets;

a beam transfer line configured to route said proton beam from said cyclotron to said scanning system; and

a separate magnet power supply for each of the plurality of bi-directional magnet sets, each of said separate magnet power supply being controlled based on an energy and a beam position in the target of said proton beam,

wherein said energy selection system selects said energy level based on a first information;

wherein said scanning system guides said proton beam to said location based on a second information,

further wherein, a specified number of protons are delivered via said proton beam to said location based on a third information.

10. The apparatus from claim 9 , wherein said magnet structure comprises a plurality of bi-directional magnet sets, a bi-directional magnet set being capable of steering said proton beam in a transversal y-direction and a transversal x-direction.

11. The apparatus from claim 9 , further comprising a transition ionization chamber interspersed between said magnet structure and said target along a path of said proton beam, said transition ionization chamber being configured to measure a dose delivered to said target at said location.

12. The apparatus from claim 11 , further comprising a multi-strip ionization chamber interspersed between said magnet structure and said target along said path of said proton beam, said multi-strip ionization chamber being configured to measure a beam position relative to said location.

13. The apparatus from claim 12 , wherein:

said first information is based on a depth of said target; and

said second information is based on said beam position and said dose.

14. A system for irradiating a tumor of a patient comprising:

a superconducting cyclotron configured to generate a proton beam comprising a pre-specified number of protons;

an energy selection system configured to select an energy level for said proton beam based on a depth of said tumor;

a scanning system configured to guide said proton beam using a magnet structure to a location on said tumor, the magnet structure comprising a plurality of bi-directional magnet sets; and

a separate magnet power supply for each of the plurality of bi-directional magnet sets powering said magnet structure, said magnet power supply configured to be set based on the energy of said proton beam and a beam position in the target,

wherein said tumor is irradiated at said depth at said location by said pre-specified number of protons.

15. The system from claim 14 , said magnet structure comprising:

a plurality of bi-directional magnet sets capable of steering said proton beam in a transversal y-direction and a transversal x-direction.

16. The system from claim 14 , further comprising:

a second scanning system located in a second patient treatment room, said second scanning system configured to guide said proton beam using a second magnet structure;

wherein said scanning system is located in a patient treatment room; and

wherein said second patient treatment room is separate from said patient treatment room.

17. The system from claim 14 , further comprising a transition ionization chamber mounted between said magnet structure and said tumor along a path of said proton beam, said transition ionization chamber being configured to measure a dose delivered to said tumor.

18. The system from claim 17 , further comprising a multi-strip ionization chamber mounted between said magnet and said target along said proton beam, said multi-strip ionization chamber being configured to measure a beam position relative to said location.

19. The system from claim 18 , wherein said scanning system alters said beam position and depth of said tumor in real time based on said dose.